


LIGHTS UP  ━━━ kylo ren

by lightupmydays



Category: Kylo Ren - Fandom, Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Sequel Trilogy, Star Wars: The Rise of Kylo Ren (Comics), ben solo - Fandom
Genre: Accidental Use of the Force, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - Star Wars Setting, Angst and Fluff and Smut, Ben Solo Needs A Hug, Ben Solo is a Mess, Childhood Friends, Childhood Sweethearts, Drama & Romance, Established Relationship, Eventual Smut, F/M, Force Visions, Kylo Ren Angst, Kylo Ren Has Issues, Kylo Ren Needs a Hug, Kylo Ren Redemption, Love/Hate, Multi, Not Canon Compliant - Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, POV Third Person, Post-Star Wars: The Last Jedi, Pre-Star Wars: The Force Awakens, Protective Kylo Ren, Quote: The Force works in mysterious ways, Redeemed Ben Solo, Romance, Romantic Friendship, Star Wars: The Rise of Kylo Ren Spoilers, Supreme Leader Kylo Ren, That's Not How The Force Works, The Force, The Force Ships It, Time Skips, Unresolved Emotional Tension, Young Ben Solo, adam driver is hot, idk - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-05-16
Updated: 2020-05-17
Packaged: 2021-03-02 17:33:49
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 7,634
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24220633
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lightupmydays/pseuds/lightupmydays
Summary: the pitfalls of the man he became.the pitfalls of the love she lost.
Relationships: Ben Solo | Kylo Ren & Original Female Character(s), Ben Solo/Original Female Character(s), Kylo Ren/Original Female Character(s)
Kudos: 3





	1. 𝐋𝐈𝐆𝐇𝐓𝐒 𝐔𝐏

**Author's Note:**

> i had this idea stuck in my head for quite a while but i never developed it bc  
> (1) i am super busy with film school AND  
> (2) i'm still relatively new to the star wars world. there's so much i don't know about its universe and the idea of writing about the force, kylo, and all that stuff made me feel nervous............BUT i still wanted to write it and finally explore something different (my head needs to get some rest -- i've been stressing a lot about my bucky barnes fanfic lately) so decided to give it a try.
> 
> ・。.・゜without getting too much into it, the main plot in 'lights up' takes place after the last jedi events, and by 'main' i mean that's the present story, where events are actually taking place. there'll be a slight reference to rey abandoning kylo and refusing his offer, but the focus is on him + meeting Elara, a reminder of his past, again. however, in order for those two to be seeing each other after a really long time, context needs to be disclosed, therefore backstory is absolutely important and i will rely heavily on the comics (The Rise of Kylo Ren). ben solo + the past + innocence shattered and forever lost. that's how 'lights up' starts. ben, elara, the shared history with a connection they found over their training years, and the night it all went to hell.
> 
> there's so much about this i'm still not quite sure about, so i'll just write things and see where that takes me lol but just so we're all happy: kylo will LIVE-  
> \- which means i might take a little -huge- detour from TROS bc let's be honest, that movie was a MESS. also, this fic will keep its original format (the one used on wattpad), so consider it a warning. character moodboards, pictures and gif sets are to be expected. 
> 
> i'm a huge fan of visual support when it comes to storytelling and i take a lot of time to edit content. if you're not into that you are free to read a different story! and if you stay, thank you!!
> 
> so yeah, that's it, i think. thanks for reading !!!! ily !!!!
> 
> p.s adam driver deserved better and that's the tea !!! byE.

𝐋𝐈𝐆𝐇𝐓𝐒 𝐔𝐏

𝒜 𝓁𝑜𝓃𝑔 𝓉𝒾𝓂𝑒 𝒶𝑔𝑜 𝒾𝓃 𝒶 𝑔𝒶𝓁𝒶𝓍𝓎 𝒻𝒶𝓇, 𝒻𝒶𝓇 𝒶𝓌𝒶𝓎...

・。.・゜✭・.・✫・゜・。.

・。.・゜✭・.・✫・゜・。.

𝘠𝘰𝘶 𝘮𝘢𝘥𝘦 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘤𝘩𝘰𝘪𝘤𝘦. 𝘋𝘰 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝐫𝐞𝐠𝐫𝐞𝐭 𝘪𝘵 𝘺𝘦𝘵?

*•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙*˚.◚ 𝗟𝗜𝗚𝗛𝗧𝗦 𝗨𝗣 ◚˚*•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙*˚

**ELARA LUSS** did not think she was special - not at all. She could confirm it daily by looking around her, witnessing the Resistance fire and the power of the Force, something she would never be able to feel. Not like them. Not anymore, at least. She was not special, nothing but one more piece of the puzzle, playing a part. However, her heart remained kind and bright as gold, firmly carrying the accumulated weight of her pain, emotional scars that spread deep within her soul, woven into a fragile personal galaxy. In the middle of the war, Elara volunteered to take care of the children at the base. She believed that they would be the real new hope, the ones who could actually change the universe. So she assumed her position and prepared to give her life for something greater than herself and anything she'd ever known. Elara was determined. Albeit, what she least expected was the way her path would cross his, after so many years. No, she was not ready for that, and part of her knew that nothing could have ever prepared her for what it would mean to meet _Him,_ again.

**KYLO REN** remembered feeling the Light once, and the man he used to be, the life that used to belong to him —back when he used to believe that such things signified something. Back when he had no idea what his true destiny was. Back when he couldn't possibly imagine the new galaxy he was meant to rebuild, no strings to the past, no holding on to pathetic sentimentalisms. Those feelings weakened, that much he had learned through Rey. No more. He was sculpted to be a killing machine, a perfect combination of lethal and ruthless, capable enough to bring the galaxy to its knees, if necessary. 

**BUT** then the new Supreme Leader stumbled upon an old face, Elara Russ, and not even an entire life of training with Snoke could prepare him for their reencounter. With his heart still in recovery, and a very bruised ego, he despised the idea of taking the leap of faith she offered him. There she was, a traitor to his cause, a natural adversary against everything he stood for. Someone he was meant to despise. Someone he needed to hate. But then again, there she was. A reminder of his past, stoic and unalterable. Someone who didn't recoil in horror at the sight of him. Someone who, in fact, saved his life. 

**AND** in a similar vein, Elara couldn't help but allow her heart to grow warmer again for the monster who fed so many nightmares of people she loved, no matter how hard she tried and refused to accept it. Together, they could perhaps take shelter within each other, find a way back home. Perhaps. Or they would forge their own tragedy, dragging one another down, drowning, choking. Falling surrounded by the deafening screams, the darkness of deaths they were responsible for and the inevitability of having to choose a path.

・。.・゜✭・.・✫・゜・。.

Rooney Mara as **Elara Luss**

"𝙄𝙛 𝙄 𝙩𝙤𝙡𝙙 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙖𝙗𝙤𝙪𝙩 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙙𝙖𝙧𝙠𝙣𝙚𝙨𝙨 𝙞𝙣𝙨𝙞𝙙𝙚 𝙤𝙛 𝙢𝙚, 𝙬𝙤𝙪𝙡𝙙 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙨𝙩𝙞𝙡𝙡 𝙡𝙤𝙤𝙠 𝙖𝙩 𝙢𝙚 𝙡𝙞𝙠𝙚 𝙄 𝙖𝙢 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙇𝙞𝙜𝙝𝙩?"

Adam Driver as **Kylo Ren**

"𝙒𝙝𝙖𝙩'𝙨 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙢𝙖𝙩𝙩𝙚𝙧 -- 𝙖𝙛𝙧𝙖𝙞𝙙 𝙤𝙛 𝙏𝙚𝙢𝙥𝙩𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣?"

Adam Driver as **Ben Solo**

****

**"𝘼𝙣𝙜𝙚𝙧 𝙬𝙖𝙨 𝙗𝙚𝙩𝙩𝙚𝙧 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙣 𝙩𝙚𝙖𝙧𝙨, 𝙗𝙚𝙩𝙩𝙚𝙧 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙣 𝙜𝙧𝙞𝙚𝙛, 𝙗𝙚𝙩𝙩𝙚𝙧 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙣 𝙜𝙪𝙞𝙡𝙩."**

****

Billie Lourd as **Lieutenant Kaydel Ko Connix**

****

"𝙂𝙚𝙩 𝙤𝙪𝙩 𝙤𝙛 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙨𝙥𝙖𝙘𝙚𝙨𝙝𝙞𝙥 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙛𝙞𝙜𝙝𝙩 𝙡𝙞𝙠𝙚 𝙖 𝙢𝙖𝙣 _!_ " **  
**

**& &.**

**other star wars characters** \- as themselves.

・。.・゜✭・.・✫・゜・。.

\-- 𝔀𝓪𝓻𝓷𝓲𝓷𝓰

this story may contain: character deaths, explicit descriptions of violence, mentions of physical & emotional abuse, adult language, explicit sexual content, mental health issues.

_if you are uncomfortable with any of these subjects, please read at your own discretion._

\-- 𝓭𝓲𝓼𝓬𝓵𝓪𝓲𝓶𝓮𝓻

**whatever you recognize, it's from the movies/comics, the rest of the content is my creation.** i don't own the star wars franchise. all rights go to lucasfilms, disney, etc. however, i do own my original characters and their story and they may not be re-distributed in any way, shape, or form. 

**© LIGHTUPMYDAYS (2020)**

**ORIGINAL COVER ON WATTPAD**

****

・。.・゜✭・.・✫・゜・。.

**(𝓂𝒶𝓎 𝓉𝒽𝑒 𝒻𝑜𝓇𝒸𝑒 𝒷𝑒 𝓌𝒾𝓉𝒽 𝓎𝑜𝓊.)**


	2. 𝐒𝐎𝐔𝐍𝐃𝐓𝐑𝐀𝐂𝐊

・。.・゜✭・.・✫・゜・。.

(𝘛𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦'𝘭𝘭 𝘣𝘦 𝘭𝘺𝘳𝘪𝘤𝘴 𝘰𝘯 𝘦𝘢𝘤𝘩 𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘱𝘵𝘦𝘳.)  
(𝘚𝘰𝘮𝘦 𝘮𝘢𝘺 𝘣𝘦 𝘮𝘰𝘳𝘦 𝘭𝘪𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘢𝘭 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘪𝘳 𝘮𝘦𝘢𝘯𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘯 𝘰𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘴 -- 𝘐 𝘴𝘵𝘳𝘰𝘯𝘨𝘭𝘺 𝘴𝘶𝘨𝘨𝘦𝘴𝘵 𝘭𝘪𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘯𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘸𝘩𝘪𝘭𝘦 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘨.)

1\. **_Lights up_** , by Harry Styles.

𝐒𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐞, 𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐩 𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐨 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐥𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭.  
𝐒𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐞, 𝐬𝐨 𝐛𝐫𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 𝐬𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐭𝐢𝐦𝐞𝐬.  
𝐒𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐞, 𝐈'𝐦 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐠𝐨𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐛𝐚𝐜𝐤.  
  
  
  


2\. **_Mecca_** , by Wild Beasts.

𝐌𝐞 𝐦𝐨𝐯𝐞 𝐢𝐧 𝐟𝐞𝐚𝐫, 𝐰𝐞 𝐦𝐨𝐯𝐞 𝐢𝐧 𝐝𝐞𝐬𝐢𝐫𝐞, 𝐧𝐨𝐰 𝐈 𝐤𝐧𝐨𝐰 𝐡𝐨𝐰 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐟𝐞𝐞𝐥. 𝐈'𝐦 𝐚 𝐩𝐢𝐥𝐠𝐫𝐢𝐦, 𝐲𝐨𝐮'𝐫𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐡𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐥𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐛𝐞𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐮𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐛𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐝 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐞𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫. 𝐖𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐛𝐨𝐝𝐲 𝐠𝐨𝐞𝐬, 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐝 𝐰𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐟𝐨𝐥𝐥𝐨𝐰 𝐬𝐨𝐨𝐧 𝐚𝐟𝐭𝐞𝐫.  
  
  


3\. **_Last hope_** , by Paramore.

𝐈𝐭'𝐬 𝐣𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝐚 𝐬𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐤, 𝐛𝐮𝐭 𝐢𝐭'𝐬 𝐞𝐧𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡 𝐭𝐨 𝐤𝐞𝐞𝐩 𝐦𝐞 𝐠𝐨𝐢𝐧𝐠. 𝐀𝐧𝐝 𝐰𝐡𝐞𝐧 𝐢𝐭'𝐬 𝐝𝐚𝐫𝐤 𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐧𝐨 𝐨𝐧𝐞'𝐬 𝐚𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐝, 𝐢𝐭 𝐤𝐞𝐞𝐩𝐬 𝐠𝐥𝐨𝐰𝐢𝐧𝐠.  
  
  


4\. **_Only one_** , by Reem.

𝐈 𝐡𝐢𝐭 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐈 𝐡𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮, 𝐧𝐨𝐰 𝐈'𝐦 𝐜𝐫𝐲𝐢𝐧𝐠. 𝐈'𝐦 𝐭𝐫𝐲𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐨 𝐬𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐦𝐲 𝐬𝐨𝐮𝐥 𝐛𝐮𝐭 𝐢𝐭 𝐦𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 𝐛𝐞 𝐭𝐨𝐨 𝐥𝐚𝐭𝐞. 𝐋𝐨𝐬𝐭 𝐢𝐧 𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐬𝐞 𝐝𝐚𝐫𝐤 𝐩𝐥𝐚𝐜𝐞𝐬, 𝐈 𝐜𝐚𝐧'𝐭 𝐟𝐢𝐧𝐝 𝐦𝐲 𝐰𝐚𝐲.  
  
  


5\. **_Wildest dreams_** , by Taylor Swift.

𝐍𝐨𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐥𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐬 𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫, 𝐛𝐮𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐢𝐬 𝐠𝐞𝐭𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐠𝐨𝐨𝐝 𝐧𝐨𝐰. 𝐇𝐞'𝐬 𝐬𝐨 𝐭𝐚𝐥𝐥, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐬𝐨𝐦𝐞 𝐚𝐬 𝐡𝐞𝐥𝐥. 𝐇𝐞'𝐬 𝐬𝐨 𝐛𝐚𝐝, 𝐛𝐮𝐭 𝐡𝐞 𝐝𝐨𝐞𝐬 𝐢𝐭 𝐬𝐨 𝐰𝐞𝐥𝐥.  
  
  


6\. **_Unconditionally_** , by Katy Perry.

𝐂𝐨𝐦𝐞 𝐣𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝐚𝐬 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐦𝐞, 𝐝𝐨𝐧'𝐭 𝐧𝐞𝐞𝐝 𝐚𝐩𝐨𝐥𝐨𝐠𝐢𝐞𝐬. 𝐊𝐧𝐨𝐰 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐡𝐲. 𝐈'𝐥𝐥 𝐭𝐚𝐤𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐛𝐚𝐝 𝐝𝐚𝐲𝐬 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐠𝐨𝐨𝐝, 𝐰𝐚𝐥𝐤 𝐭𝐡𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐦 𝐈 𝐰𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝. 𝐈'𝐝 𝐝𝐨 𝐢𝐭 𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐛𝐞𝐜𝐚𝐮𝐬𝐞 𝐈 𝐥𝐨𝐯𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮, 𝐈 𝐥𝐨𝐯𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮.  
  
  


7\. **_Control_** , by Halsey (Male version).

𝐈'𝐦 𝐜𝐫𝐲𝐢𝐧𝐠, "𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐲 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐦𝐞."𝐀𝐧𝐝 𝐈 𝐭𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐨 𝐡𝐨𝐥𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐬𝐞 𝐬𝐞𝐜𝐫𝐞𝐭𝐬 𝐢𝐧𝐬𝐢𝐝𝐞 𝐦𝐞, 𝐦𝐲 𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐝'𝐬 𝐥𝐢𝐤𝐞 𝐚 𝐝𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐥𝐲 𝐝𝐞𝐬𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐞. 𝐈'𝐦 𝐛𝐢𝐠𝐠𝐞𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐧 𝐦𝐲 𝐛𝐨𝐝𝐲, 𝐈'𝐦 𝐜𝐨𝐥𝐝𝐞𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐡𝐨𝐦𝐞. 𝐈'𝐦 𝐦𝐞𝐚𝐧𝐞𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐧 𝐦𝐲 𝐝𝐞𝐦𝐨𝐧𝐬, 𝐈'𝐦 𝐛𝐢𝐠𝐠𝐞𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐬𝐞 𝐛𝐨𝐧𝐞𝐬.  
  
  


8\. **_Crash & Burn_**, by Bea Miller.

𝐈 𝐤𝐧𝐨𝐰 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐢𝐭'𝐬 𝐛𝐞𝐞𝐧 𝐰𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐧 𝐛𝐞𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐞, 𝐛𝐮𝐭 𝐈 𝐰𝐚𝐧𝐧𝐚 𝐥𝐞𝐭 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐤𝐧𝐨𝐰 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐈 𝐚𝐝𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮. 𝐘𝐨𝐮'𝐫𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐨𝐧𝐥𝐲 𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐰𝐡𝐨 𝐦𝐚𝐤𝐞𝐬 𝐦𝐞 𝐟𝐞𝐞𝐥 𝐬𝐨 𝐡𝐢𝐠𝐡, 𝐛𝐮𝐭 𝐈 𝐰𝐨𝐧'𝐭 𝐜𝐫𝐚𝐬𝐡 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐛𝐮𝐫𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐭𝐢𝐦𝐞. 𝐀𝐧𝐝 𝐈 𝐜𝐚𝐧'𝐭 𝐭𝐚𝐤𝐞 𝐢𝐭 𝐰𝐡𝐞𝐧 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐥𝐨𝐨𝐤 𝐦𝐞 𝐢𝐧 𝐦𝐲 𝐞𝐲𝐞𝐬.  
  
  


9\. **_Breathe_** , by Angels and Airwaves.

𝐀 𝐛𝐥𝐮𝐞, 𝐛𝐥𝐚𝐜𝐤 𝐬𝐡𝐚𝐝𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐥𝐨𝐯𝐞 𝐬𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐚𝐛𝐨𝐯𝐞. 𝐌𝐲 𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐬 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐭𝐢𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐨 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐥𝐝𝐬 𝐚𝐥𝐨𝐧𝐞, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐈 𝐤𝐧𝐨𝐰. 𝐘𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐛𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐡'𝐬 𝐥𝐢𝐤𝐞 𝐰𝐢𝐧𝐞, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐣𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝐥𝐢𝐤𝐞 𝐜𝐥𝐨𝐮𝐝𝐬 𝐦𝐲 𝐬𝐤𝐢𝐧 𝐜𝐫𝐚𝐰𝐥𝐬. 𝐈𝐭'𝐬 𝐬𝐨 𝐝𝐢𝐯𝐢𝐧𝐞, 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐤𝐲, 𝐢𝐭 𝐠𝐥𝐨𝐰𝐬 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐟𝐢𝐞𝐥𝐝𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐥𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭.  
  
  


10\. **_Simmer_** , by Hayley Williams.

𝐑𝐚𝐠𝐞 𝐢𝐬 𝐚 𝐪𝐮𝐢𝐞𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠. 𝐘𝐨𝐮 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐤 𝐲𝐨𝐮'𝐯𝐞 𝐭𝐚𝐦𝐞𝐝 𝐢𝐭, 𝐛𝐮𝐭 𝐢𝐭'𝐬 𝐣𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝐥𝐲𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐢𝐧 𝐰𝐚𝐢𝐭. 𝐎𝐡, 𝐫𝐚𝐠𝐞. 𝐈𝐬 𝐢𝐭 𝐢𝐧 𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐯𝐞𝐢𝐧𝐬?  
  
  


11\. **_Don't Blame Me_** , by Taylor Swift.

𝐀𝐧𝐝 𝐛𝐚𝐛𝐲, 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐲𝐨𝐮, 𝐈 𝐰𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝 𝐟𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐠𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐞 𝐣𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝐭𝐨 𝐭𝐨𝐮𝐜𝐡 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐟𝐚𝐜𝐞. 𝐈𝐟 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐰𝐚𝐥𝐤 𝐚𝐰𝐚𝐲, 𝐈'𝐝 𝐛𝐞𝐠 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐨𝐧 𝐦𝐲 𝐤𝐧𝐞𝐞𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐲.  
  
  


12\. **_Daylight_** , by Taylor Swift

𝐀𝐧𝐝 𝐈 𝐜𝐚𝐧 𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐬𝐞𝐞 𝐢𝐭 𝐚𝐥𝐥, 𝐢𝐧 𝐦𝐲 𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐝. 𝐀𝐥𝐥 𝐨𝐟 𝐲𝐨𝐮, 𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐨𝐟 𝐦𝐞, 𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐭𝐰𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐝. 𝐈 𝐨𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐛𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐝 𝐥𝐨𝐯𝐞 𝐰𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝 𝐛𝐞 𝐛𝐥𝐚𝐜𝐤 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐰𝐡𝐢𝐭𝐞, 𝐛𝐮𝐭 𝐢𝐭'𝐬 𝐠𝐨𝐥𝐝𝐞𝐧. 𝐆𝐨𝐥𝐝𝐞𝐧.  
  
  


13\. **_Treacherous_** by Taylor Swift.

𝐈 𝐜𝐚𝐧'𝐭 𝐝𝐞𝐜𝐢𝐝𝐞 𝐢𝐟 𝐢𝐭'𝐬 𝐚 𝐜𝐡𝐨𝐢𝐜𝐞 𝐠𝐞𝐭𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐬𝐰𝐞𝐩𝐭 𝐚𝐰𝐚𝐲. 𝐈 𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐝 𝐨𝐟 𝐦𝐲 𝐨𝐰𝐧 𝐯𝐨𝐢𝐜𝐞 𝐚𝐬𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐭𝐨 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐲. 𝐀𝐧𝐝 𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐰𝐞 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐢𝐬 𝐬𝐤𝐢𝐧 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐛𝐨𝐧𝐞, 𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐨 𝐠𝐞𝐭 𝐚𝐥𝐨𝐧𝐠, 𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐠𝐨𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐟𝐥𝐨𝐰. 𝐁𝐮𝐭 𝐲𝐨𝐮'𝐫𝐞 𝐟𝐫𝐢𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧.  
  
  


14\. **_Shameless_** , by Camila Cabello.

𝐓𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞'𝐬 𝐣𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝐢𝐧𝐜𝐡𝐞𝐬 𝐢𝐧 𝐛𝐞𝐭𝐰𝐞𝐞𝐧 𝐮𝐬, 𝐈 𝐰𝐚𝐧𝐭 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐭𝐨 𝐠𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐢𝐧, 𝐈 𝐰𝐚𝐧𝐭 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐭𝐨 𝐠𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐢𝐧. 𝐓𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐢𝐬 𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐢𝐧 𝐛𝐞𝐭𝐰𝐞𝐞𝐧 𝐮𝐬, 𝐈 𝐣𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝐰𝐚𝐧𝐧𝐚 𝐠𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐢𝐧 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐈 𝐝𝐨𝐧'𝐭 𝐜𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐢𝐟 𝐈'𝐦 𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐠𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐧. 𝐑𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 𝐧𝐨𝐰, 𝐈'𝐦 𝐬𝐡𝐚𝐦𝐞𝐥𝐞𝐬𝐬, 𝐬𝐜𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐦𝐲 𝐥𝐮𝐧𝐠𝐬 𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐲𝐨𝐮. 𝐍𝐨𝐭 𝐚𝐟𝐫𝐚𝐢𝐝 𝐭𝐨 𝐟𝐚𝐜𝐞 𝐢𝐭, 𝐈 𝐧𝐞𝐞𝐝 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐧 𝐈 𝐰𝐚𝐧𝐭 𝐭𝐨.  
  
  


15\. **_Attack of Panic_** , by Aly & AJ.

𝐈𝐭'𝐬 𝐨𝐤𝐚𝐲, 𝐤𝐞𝐞𝐩 𝐛𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠, 𝐨𝐧𝐥𝐲 𝐰𝐚𝐲 𝐢𝐭'𝐬 𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐯𝐢𝐧𝐠. 𝐈𝐭'𝐬 𝐨𝐤𝐚𝐲, 𝐤𝐞𝐞𝐩 𝐛𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠, 𝐟𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐚 𝐟𝐞𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠. 𝐓𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞'𝐬 𝐚 𝐩𝐚𝐧𝐢𝐜 𝐢𝐧 𝐲𝐨𝐮, 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞'𝐬 𝐚 𝐩𝐚𝐧𝐢𝐜 𝐢𝐧 𝐦𝐲𝐬𝐞𝐥𝐟. 𝐓𝐚𝐥𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐬, 𝐢𝐧𝐬𝐢𝐝𝐞 𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐬. 𝐀𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐲 𝐭𝐫𝐲 𝐭𝐨 𝐛𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐦𝐞 𝐝𝐨𝐰𝐧, 𝐝𝐨𝐰𝐧, 𝐝𝐨𝐰𝐧, 𝐝𝐨𝐰𝐧.   
  
  


16\. **_Teeth_** , by 5SOS.

𝐅𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 𝐬𝐨 𝐝𝐢𝐫𝐭𝐲, 𝐛𝐮𝐭 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐥𝐨𝐯𝐞 𝐬𝐨 𝐬𝐰𝐞𝐞𝐭. 𝐓𝐚𝐥𝐤 𝐬𝐨 𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐭𝐭𝐲, 𝐛𝐮𝐭 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐭 𝐠𝐨𝐭 𝐭𝐞𝐞𝐭𝐡. 𝐋𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐧𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 𝐝𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐥, 𝐩𝐮𝐭 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐬 𝐨𝐧 𝐦𝐞,𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐧𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫, 𝐧𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫, 𝐧𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫, 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐥𝐞𝐭 𝐠𝐨.  
  
  


17\. **_Apple_** , by Julia Michaels.

𝐋𝐢𝐟𝐭 𝐮𝐩 𝐦𝐲 𝐝𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐬𝐞𝐞 𝐰𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮'𝐯𝐞 𝐛𝐞𝐞𝐧, 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭'𝐬 𝐰𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐈 𝐰𝐚𝐧𝐭 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭'𝐬 𝐰𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐈 𝐚𝐦. 𝐁𝐢𝐭𝐞 𝐨𝐟𝐟 𝐚𝐧 𝐚𝐩𝐩𝐥𝐞 𝐫𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐟𝐫𝐢𝐝𝐠𝐞, 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐞 𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐞 𝐢𝐭 𝐫𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 𝐨𝐟𝐟 𝐦𝐲 𝐥𝐢𝐩𝐬. 𝐒𝐩𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐞𝐦𝐨𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐨 𝐦𝐲 𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐬, 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭'𝐬 𝐰𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐈 𝐰𝐚𝐧𝐭.  
  
  


18\. **_Love Lies_** , by Khalid & Normani.

𝐒𝐨 𝐛𝐚𝐛𝐲, 𝐭𝐞𝐥𝐥 𝐦𝐞 𝐰𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐥𝐨𝐯𝐞 𝐥𝐢𝐞𝐬, 𝐰𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐝𝐚𝐲 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐬𝐩𝐞𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐧𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭. 𝐔𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐧𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐡 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐮𝐧𝐫𝐢𝐬𝐞, 𝐬𝐡𝐨𝐰 𝐦𝐞 𝐰𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐥𝐨𝐯𝐞 𝐥𝐢𝐞𝐬. 𝐈'𝐯𝐞 𝐛𝐞𝐞𝐧 𝐬𝐨 𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐨 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐦𝐲𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐲, 𝐢𝐬 𝐢𝐭 𝐛𝐞𝐜𝐚𝐮𝐬𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐡𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐲? 𝐀𝐫𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐨 𝐦𝐞? 𝐖𝐡𝐞𝐧 𝐢𝐭 𝐟𝐞𝐞𝐥𝐬 𝐬𝐨 𝐠𝐨𝐨𝐝, 𝐛𝐮𝐭 𝐢𝐭'𝐬 𝐛𝐚𝐝 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐲𝐨𝐮. 𝐂𝐚𝐧'𝐭 𝐬𝐚𝐲 𝐈 𝐝𝐨𝐧'𝐭 𝐰𝐚𝐧𝐭 𝐢𝐭 𝐛𝐞𝐜𝐚𝐮𝐬𝐞 𝐈 𝐤𝐧𝐨𝐰 𝐈 𝐝𝐨.  
  
  


19\. **_Volcanic Love_** , by The Aces.

𝐈 𝐠𝐞𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐟𝐞𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐫𝐲 𝐚𝐛𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐦𝐞 𝐰𝐚𝐲 𝐭𝐨𝐨 𝐦𝐮𝐜𝐡. 𝐂𝐚𝐮𝐠𝐡𝐭 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐦𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭, 𝐰𝐞 𝐥𝐨𝐯𝐞 𝐰𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐜𝐚𝐧'𝐭 𝐛𝐞 𝐠𝐨𝐨𝐝 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐮𝐬. 𝐀𝐧𝐝 𝐈'𝐯𝐞 𝐛𝐞𝐞𝐧 𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐨 𝐦𝐲 𝐬𝐡𝐞𝐞𝐭𝐬 𝐚𝐥𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐚𝐭 𝐧𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭. 𝐔𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐚𝐬𝐡𝐞𝐬, 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐭 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐥𝐞𝐟𝐭 𝐣𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝐰𝐨𝐧'𝐭 𝐬𝐮𝐛𝐬𝐢𝐝𝐞.  
  
  
  


20\. **_Sorry I'm Yours_** , by Circa Waves.

𝐆𝐨𝐨𝐝𝐛𝐲𝐞, 𝐦𝐲 𝐩𝐫𝐢𝐝𝐞 𝐢𝐬 𝐠𝐨𝐧𝐞, 𝐢𝐭 𝐥𝐞𝐟𝐭 𝐦𝐞. 𝐃𝐞𝐚𝐝 𝐨𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐟𝐥𝐨𝐨𝐫, 𝐈'𝐦 𝐬𝐨𝐫𝐫𝐲 𝐈'𝐦 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐬. 𝐆𝐨𝐨𝐝𝐛𝐲𝐞, 𝐦𝐲 𝐩𝐫𝐢𝐝𝐞 𝐢𝐬 𝐠𝐨𝐧𝐞, 𝐢𝐭 𝐥𝐞𝐟𝐭 𝐦𝐞. 𝐘𝐨𝐮 𝐰𝐚𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐦𝐮𝐜𝐡 𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐞, 𝐈'𝐦 𝐬𝐨𝐫𝐫𝐲 𝐈'𝐦 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐬.  
  
  
  


21\. **_Us_** , by James Bay.

𝐓𝐞𝐥𝐥 𝐦𝐞 𝐰𝐡𝐞𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐥𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 𝐠𝐨𝐞𝐬 𝐨𝐮𝐭, 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐧 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐝𝐚𝐫𝐤 𝐰𝐞 𝐜𝐚𝐧 𝐟𝐢𝐧𝐝 𝐚 𝐰𝐚𝐲 𝐨𝐮𝐭. 𝐓𝐞𝐥𝐥 𝐦𝐞 𝐧𝐨𝐰, 𝐛𝐞𝐜𝐚𝐮𝐬𝐞 𝐈 𝐛𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐞𝐯𝐞 𝐢𝐧 𝐬𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠, 𝐈 𝐛𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐞𝐯𝐞 𝐢𝐧 𝐮𝐬.  
  
  
  


22. ** _Lust For Life_** , by Lana Del Rey & The Weeknd.

'𝐂𝐚𝐮𝐬𝐞 𝐰𝐞'𝐫𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐦𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐨𝐰𝐧 𝐟𝐚𝐭𝐞. 𝐖𝐞'𝐫𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐜𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐨𝐰𝐧 𝐬𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐬, 𝐬𝐨 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞'𝐬 𝐧𝐨 𝐧𝐞𝐞𝐝 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐮𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐡𝐞𝐬𝐢𝐭𝐚𝐭𝐞. 𝐖𝐞'𝐫𝐞 𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐚𝐥𝐨𝐧𝐞, 𝐥𝐞𝐭'𝐬 𝐭𝐚𝐤𝐞 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐫𝐨𝐥.  
  
  
  


23\. **_Never Tear Us Apart_** , by Paloma Faith.

𝐃𝐨𝐧'𝐭 𝐚𝐬𝐤 𝐦𝐞 𝐰𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐤𝐧𝐨𝐰 𝐢𝐬 𝐭𝐫𝐮𝐞. 𝐃𝐨𝐧'𝐭 𝐡𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐭𝐞𝐥𝐥 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐈 𝐥𝐨𝐯𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐜𝐢𝐨𝐮𝐬 𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐭. 𝐈 𝐰𝐚𝐬 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠, 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐰𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞, 𝐭𝐰𝐨 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐥𝐝𝐬 𝐜𝐨𝐥𝐥𝐢𝐝𝐞𝐝. 𝐀𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐲 𝐜𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝 𝐧𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐭𝐞𝐚𝐫 𝐮𝐬 𝐚𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐭.  
  


・。.・゜✭・.・✫・゜・。.

"𝘞𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘣𝘭𝘰𝘰𝘥 𝘰𝘧 𝘢 𝘴𝘤𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘥𝘳𝘦𝘭 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘢 𝘱𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘤𝘦𝘴𝘴 𝘪𝘯 𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘷𝘦𝘪𝘯𝘴, 𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘥𝘦𝘧𝘪𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘦 𝘸𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘴𝘩𝘢𝘬𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘳𝘴."


	3. 𝐏𝐑𝐎𝐋𝐎𝐆𝐔𝐄 ━━━ 𝐓𝐇𝐄𝐍

・。.・゜✭・.・✫・゜・。.

\- 𝐏𝐑𝐎𝐋𝐎𝐆𝐔𝐄 -

𝕥𝕙𝕖𝕟

**SOMETIME AFTER THE BATTLE OF JAKKU** , Jedi Master Luke Skywalker built a Jedi Temple on an unknown planet to serve as a Jedi academy, in order to train a new generation of Jedi Knights and establish a New Jedi Order.

The First of Luke's students was his nephew, Ben Solo, who joined him at the age of 10. He proved to be force-sensitive by virtue of his lineage as a scion of the Skywalker bloodline, taking after his mother, as well as his uncle and grandfather. As the Force awakened in Ben, his parents grew to believe that he needed guidance, having failed in their efforts to build a normal life for their son; which is why in 15 ABY, he began his Jedi training as part of Skywalker's initiative to restore the Jedi Order. Organa recognized similarities between her son and her father; therefore, she counted on her brother to prevent Solo from suffering the same fate as Anakin Skywalker.

Growing up, Solo was unaware of his true lineage —that he was the grandson of Darth Vader. Only his parents and Organa's twin brother knew the truth of Anakin Skywalker's past. Organa decided to keep the secret about Vader from Solo but planned to tell him when he was older, and so the truth remained hidden from Ben for years. She nonetheless hoped that she could tell her son eventually, and that Skywalker could explain that, in the end, Vader was redeemed and that the light inside of Anakin had returned. 

Through Luke's training, Solo developed a strong sense of devotion to the ways of the Jedi. He kept a calligraphy set filled with Jedi insights in his quarters during his time with Skywalker and as master and apprentice, the two traveled across the galaxy, accumulating artifacts and learning more about the ancient Jedi in their quest to restore the Order to its former glory.

Like his sister, Skywalker tried to shield Solo from the secrets of their family as much as he could. However, his efforts to protect his nephew from the dark side left Solo feeling isolated from those around him, and in his isolation a dark voice twisted his fears into reality. It was during this period in Solo's life that he came into contact with Snoke, a mysterious Force user who possessed a powerful connection to the dark side. The voice forged himself as a constant companion, lurking in the shadows, spreading his ideas deep inside the mind of the young apprentice.

But the Jedi did not remain limited to two members for long, as Skywalker took it upon himself to train multiple apprentices at the same time after three years. That's how, in addition to several new recruits, Elara Luss became acquainted with Skywalker's first and strongest pupil. 

**AND THINGS WOULD NEVER BE THE SAME** , for better and worse.

・。.・゜✭・.・✫・゜・。.

・。.・゜✭・.・✫・゜・。.

( "𝗕𝘂𝘁 𝗵𝗼𝘄 𝗰𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗸𝗻𝗼𝘄?" )

( "𝘐 𝘧𝘦𝘦𝘭 𝘪𝘵. 𝘐 𝘧𝘦𝘦𝘭 𝘪𝘵, 𝘸𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘐 𝘧𝘦𝘦𝘭 𝘺𝘰𝘶.")


	4. 𝐓𝐇𝐄𝐍: 𝐀 𝐟𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐝

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 𝘨𝘪𝘷𝘦 𝘪𝘯 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘵𝘳𝘰𝘭, 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦’𝘴 𝘴𝘰 𝘮𝘢𝘯𝘺 𝘸𝘢𝘺𝘴 𝘵𝘰 𝘨𝘪𝘷𝘦 𝘪𝘯  
> 𝘦𝘺𝘦𝘴 𝘤𝘭𝘰𝘴𝘦, 𝘢𝘯𝘰𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘸𝘢𝘺 𝘵𝘰 𝘮𝘢𝘬𝘦 𝘪𝘵 𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘦𝘯  
> 𝘰𝘩, 𝘩𝘰𝘸 𝘵𝘰 𝘥𝘳𝘢𝘸 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘦 𝘣𝘦𝘵𝘸𝘦𝘦𝘯 𝘸𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘩 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘮𝘦𝘳𝘤𝘺?  
> 𝘴𝘪𝘮𝘮𝘦𝘳, 𝘴𝘪𝘮𝘮𝘦𝘳, 𝘴𝘪𝘮𝘮𝘦𝘳, 𝘴𝘪𝘮𝘮𝘦𝘳, 𝘴𝘪𝘮𝘮𝘦𝘳 𝘥𝘰𝘸𝘯.

・。.・゜✭・.・✫・゜・。.

・。.・゜✭・.・✫・゜・。.

**LOCATION** : ELPHRONA ━━━ 𝐎𝐥𝐝 𝐉𝐞𝐝𝐢 𝐎𝐮𝐭𝐩𝐨𝐬𝐭, 𝟏𝟖 𝐀𝐁𝐘.

 **DURING THE THIRD YEAR OF SOLO'S APPRENTICESHIP** , Lor San Tekka, a traveler noted for his expertise on the Jedi Order, informed Skywalker about the discovery of an ancient Jedi outpost on the planet Elphrona. Embarking on a mission to investigate San Tekka's findings, Skywalker brought his apprentice with him, knowing that, like himself, young Ben Solo was interested in discovering Jedi artifacts.

━ You're sure about this, Lor?- Luke questioned, eyeing the planet before them. He sounded doubtful, but his friend nodded.

━ As sure as I can be.- he said firmly. ━ My contact told me a great deal about the location.

The padawan shuffled uncomfortably in his seat, resting his arms on his bouncing knees, hands clasped tightly as he barely paid attention to the conversation. The two old men were too engrossed to notice him, anyway.

━ I think after all my wanderings, I can recognize the description of a Jedi outpost when I hear it, Luke.- Lor continued rather defensively this time, typing yet another command. The ship responded, its speed increasing smoothly.

Luke flinched a brow gazing at him a moment before he chuckled deeply, shaking his head. The sound of his voice echoed through the cockpit.

━ I'm not questioning your expertise...- he trailed off, choosing his words carefully. ━ I just didn't realize the Jedi ever had an official presence so far from the core.- as the volume of his words lowered significantly, Ben noticed in them a hint of underlying tension.

𝙄𝙨 𝙖𝙡𝙡 𝙬𝙚𝙡𝙡, 𝙢𝙮 𝙛𝙧𝙞𝙚𝙣𝙙?,- his companion suddenly said.- 𝙄 𝙨𝙚𝙣𝙨𝙚 𝙙𝙞𝙨𝙦𝙪𝙞𝙚𝙩 𝙞𝙣 𝙮𝙤𝙪.

Ben couldn't remember the exact moment the voices in his head appeared, as if felt like he'd been living with them his entire life. 

The process had been slow and progressive. It started out as a feeling of uneasiness, which then grew into full curiosity. The feeling evolved as he grew up, turning into quiet thoughts, which later became quiet words. Words that came from a voice different than his own. Words that held some kind of power and complexity, inviting and intimidating at the same time. As Ben Solo's power increased, the presence checked in with him more and more often.

Over the years Solo was telepathically contacted without Skywalker's knowledge. The kid learned to unify them, and soon enough it didn't feel like different voices talking to him anymore. It was just one. Those quiet words grew louder and louder, until there was finally a name to the guest that resided inside Ben's mind:

𝙎𝙣𝙤𝙠𝙚.

He rushed his reply, aware that his friend didn't like it when he left his questions unanswered. Snoke evoked in Solo a desperate need to please, the kid eager to feel validated by someone.

" _I'm fine, Snoke. Just off on yet another mission with Master Skywalker to find Jedi artifacts."_

━ It's probably High Republic era. It was a time of greatly expanded Jedi activity throughout the galaxy.- San Tekka elucidated, and in utter silence, Ben vacantly stared at the man's profile while he continued projecting his thoughts to the voice living inside his head, helping Snoke to catch up.

"... _Lor San Tekka's here too. He thinks he found something on the edge of the outer rim, almost to the unknown regions... Some planet called Ephrona."_ \- Solo grew slightly frustrated while he kept his eyes on Skywalker and San Tekka as the two conversed about the outpost. "... _All this way to find some old junk Master Luke will lock away in his temple and never use!"_

𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝙅𝙚𝙙𝙞 𝙝𝙖𝙫𝙚 𝙖𝙡𝙬𝙖𝙮𝙨 𝙗𝙚𝙚𝙣 𝙜𝙤𝙤𝙙 𝙖𝙩 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩. 𝙏𝙝𝙚𝙮 𝙘𝙤𝙣𝙨𝙞𝙙𝙚𝙧 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙢𝙨𝙚𝙡𝙫𝙚𝙨 𝙢𝙖𝙨𝙩𝙚𝙧𝙨 𝙤𝙛 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙁𝙤𝙧𝙘𝙚, 𝙞𝙣 𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙧𝙮 𝙨𝙚𝙣𝙨𝙚.

Snoke's comment held a clear note of disdain, and as Solo's unrest continued to grow, he became melancholic at having nothing to do on this mission except to follow his master's lead.

 _"At least he could have let me fly the ship. Would give me something to do."_ Ben found himself nodding ever so slightly, agreeing with his friend. _"He's an amazing teacher, very strong. I've learned so much from him..."_ the young student confided in Snoke his belief that Skywalker was holding him back in his evolution as a Jedi. " _... but he never seems to want me to use any of it."_

𝙔𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙈𝙖𝙨𝙩𝙚𝙧 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙠𝙨 𝙤𝙛 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙖𝙨 𝙖 𝙘𝙝𝙞𝙡𝙙. 𝙎𝙤𝙢𝙚𝙙𝙖𝙮 𝙝𝙚 𝙬𝙞𝙡𝙡 𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙡𝙞𝙯𝙚 𝙮𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙩𝙧𝙪𝙚 𝙘𝙖𝙥𝙖𝙗𝙞𝙡𝙞𝙩𝙞𝙚𝙨. 

The disembodied voice took the opportunity to sow seeds of doubt about the Jedi in Solo's mind, the words somhow still strangely soothing, and Ben wondered for a moment if there was something his friend knew that he wasn't aware of. However, their private conversation was interrupted by Skywalker and San Tekka.

━ We're just about there, Ben!- Luke called over his shoulder, and his startled nephew tugged on the belt. ━ If this place is anything Lor San Tekka believes, we could find some new insights into the Old Jedi. Maybe some interesting weapons too? I know you like that sort of thing.- Ben didn't answer. Instead, he gave a deep sigh and kept his eyes ahead, on the planet, the only thing he could make out in the darkness of space. 

━ Entirely possible.- Lor chimed in, excitedly noting with further details as the ship started its descent to Elphrona's surface and they slowly entered the atmosphere with the hum of a light sonic shockwave. ━ ... Kyber Crystals have powered many tools over the generations. Not just sabers.

━ I'm glad you came along, Ben.- Luke's stare intensified, and for a long, painful minute, Ben forced himself to meet his gaze. The questions in his uncle's eyes were intense and many. He wasn't pushing the kid, but the latter could see he wanted to. 

Concealing his inner thoughts, young Solo finally managed to nod with the slight hint of a smile when his master expressed how pleased he was to have him by his side. 

━ Yes, Master Skywalker, so am I.- he said sheepishly and then stared out the cockpit front window with a strange look on his face. ━ So am I...- he repeated, more for himself than Luke.

・。.・゜✭・.・✫・゜・。.

The outpost that they discovered was well preserved and the entrance intact. Both master and apprentice were impressed by it, though Skywalker warned that they should exercise caution while exploring, recounting a similar situation that nearly ended with his death in years past. As they wandered through the ancient building, they noticed the temperature was dropping as the sun's presence retired for the day.

The trio marveled at the numerous artifacts that they came across upon entering the outpost, including holocrons and a lightsaber rifle, their breaths creating a thick mist of fog as they breathed. Skywalker called it a treasure trove, while San Tekka concluded that the ancient Jedi used it as a repository but never returned to gather the items left behind. Solo assured his master, who considered this latest discovery even more advantageous to their growth as Jedi than Jocasta Nu's cache, that he appreciated the value of everything inside of the outpost.

Out of nowhere the room went darker. Luke and Ben felt the presence of the Dark side disturbing the Force, and it was only then that the latter noticed the mist filling the room. A thick cloud of it wrapped around their bodies. Something was happening, and Ben didn't have a good feeling about it.

━ Do you... feel that?- he frowned, glancing around. Lor followed their example, his eyes wide with wonder at what might be out there that he couldn't sense like Luke and Ben coud. ━ It feels... - he trailed off, gaze meeting his uncle's, who nodded severely.

━ Cold.- they finished, speaking at the same time. Indeed, the room was suddenly way too dark to make out much, and it did smell damp and felt pretty cold.

Moving away from his nephew, the Jedi master stood still, closed his eyes and suddenly became engulfed in the thick mist. For a moment Ben couldn't see Luke. And then as the mist faded, his uncle appeared, but the young apprentice's focus was on the oozing dark energy around him. The flaming waves of Darkness launched toward the three visitors, in direct hits. Thick, sticky, slow-flowing and, which was even more dangerous, alluring. Summoning every last ounce of willpower, Ben held fast, trying to concentrate in the Light side of the Force when the quietness of the room was broken by the sharp sound of something snapping.

The dark shapes which the ruins of the ancient building cast in the remaining dim traces of sun light moved somberly. All of them, except for one shadow. Despite hovering several meters above them, it looked larger than the rest of the silhouettes, and imposing in a very peeculiar way. As the shadow finally began to change, it moved very fast. A strange, distant sound resembling chattering was followed by guttural grunts, whistles, and squeals. Along with that were the sounds of walking and debris crashing. 

━ Well, hello there...- low, menacing words echoed round the repository. 

Luke, Ben and Lor looked up sharply toward the modified voice, shocked to see glowing red light moving in their direction. Soon, the mysterious ghost-like shadow was joined by others of very similar shapes, slowly taking in a clearer appearance.

The sound of breath drawn in sharply told Ben that Lor had spotted them too, but he didn't take his eyes from the defined silhouettes of seven people, which apparently had entered the outpost unnoticed and looked like a group of marauders, dressed in black, their obvious bad intentions clear as day through the Force.

Emerging from the shadows of a pair of crumbling columns, the intruders stepped into the faint light and made their presence known. Standing a few levels above their heads were seven imposing figures. One stood apart from the others with arms outstretched on each side of the body in a dramatic gesture, further ahead than the rest, as he finally spoke again with the calm, quiet voice of great power. Though changed, the modulated voice that came from a helmet was deep, and rough. A man's voice.

━ Everything here is ours.- he simply stated on the group's behalf, a painful finality in every cold syllable. ━ We're going to take it... but how we take it is up to you.- bringing his hands down, the man stood still like the other six. He suddenly jumped, landing on the ground before Ben, Luke and Lor with abnormal stealth. The other men followed suit with much less gracefulness, lingering threatengly behind their leader. ━ ... Your call, friends.- he announced at last, walking across the rubble with resolve. As the leader moved, Luke could make out the details of his appearance.

Crimson glowing light came from the center of the leader's helmet, which glistened like polished ebony. The other six masks looked nothing like his. All their outfits were collectively the same, with only a few small pieces unique to each individual in their helmets. It looked like formal wear, heavier clothing and armor. It was clear each warrior had a distinct style, a surfacing individuality amidst their homogeneity. They did looked like a cohesive team, somehow balancing their differences and able to find unity within diversity. 

Their leader's upper body lacked the clothing the rest wore, with battle scars and severe burn marks spreading across his entire skin, which were partially covered by a thin cloth resembling a cape, flowing as it wrapped around his collar by a makeshift incision on its fabric. Underneath the worn out cape, along the legs, loose-fitting, desert-like garb could be seen. They were black, as were his boots.

It was a superficial way to communicate ferocity, Luke easily recognised. His features were hidden behind the menacing mask, making it impossible for those opposite him to read the expression on his face. Despite the annoyingly familiar detail, Luke allowed the stranger to play his eye-power games. The mighty Jedi had already played them with far more dangerous men than that one, anyway. However, the truly surprising discovery was the object some of them had in their hands.

Lightsabers.

With an impatient shrug, the man pointed the saber at them in final warning. A tense silence followed, only broken by the calm, rational voice of Luke's natural authority. The velvet larynx covering a will of steel. 

━ You're wrong... so wrong.- his gestures were economical, yet the words severe. ━ This is a Jedi Outpost. Everything in it belongs to the Jedi Order, which at the moment, means me.- Ben watched as Skywalker reverently drew out his own lightsaber, introducing himself without igniting it. ━ I am the last Jedi...- however, that was a status Luke didn't intend to hold onto for long. He cast a fleeting glance in the direction of his worried apprentice. ━ ... Even if I had no claim over these things, I wouldn't let you take them. I can sense the Dark Side in you, in all of you.- he paused for a moment, regarding them with a blank expression before concluding. ━ You will leave here with nothing but your lives.

━ All right.- sighed the leader with fake disappointment before chuckling. ━ Let's show this old fool what's what and get what we came here for!- the volume of his voice rose as he called out to the rest over his shoulder, without glancing back. 

The six men moved. Just a little, but enough for Ben to translate their slightly bent forms, as if in a bow. Suddenly, he felt his blood boil with indignation.

━ This is Jedi Master Luke Skywalker!- the young boy yelled at them with his left hand clenched in a fist. ━ He is a legend!- Luke stepped in front of his nephew, protecting him from any kind of retribution. His helmet tilted as the man glanced toward the kid with curiosity, then back up at Luke.

━ Yeah?- he sneered. ━ Well, I'm Ren!- he said, placing his left hand on his chest. Then he opened his arms, gesturing broadly. ━ ... These are the Knights of Ren.- the latter introduced his team, nodding at the men over his shoulder. Ren spoke in tones of command and rising wrath. ━ And we are legendary.- he finished with arrogance as his right hand ignited the lightsaber.

The young apprentice had never seen that kind of saber before. Not personally, that is. He'd read about it, and what the red color meant, but never in his training had he ever come across such a terrifying weapon. Next to him, Lor's standing body was shaking as the latter didn't know what to do. Sensing the man's fear, Luke took yet another step forward, igniting his own lightsaber. The green-bladed weapon hummed to life, its glow casting shadows across his stern features. 

━ Lor, get back! Stay out of the fight.- the Jedi ordered, adopting a fighting stance. With his right foot back, his left foot forward and his knees slightly bent, Luke's firm grip on the weapon tightened. ━ Ben, protect him.- he commanded, and the young padawan didn't realize how parched his throat was until he rasped, staring at his uncle.

━ I will, he'll be safe with me.- he was already standing before a very frightened Lor, flexing his fingers as the power of the Force flowed tensely around them. ━ But Master, what about you?- Ben frowned, eyeing the warriors with evident concern. ━ ... There are seven of them!

━ Oh, I'll be just fine.- came Luke's response, dripping in sarcasm. The latter's icy eyes never darted from Ren. However a hint of a smile curled the outer corner of his lips. 

Ren's shoulders vibrated with scornful laughter when he realized Luke wasn't going to just meekly surrender. 

━ The very last Jedi... and my very first. Almost a shame to see you go!- there was more than simple defiance in his ironic tone. There was anger and also a perverted amusement: the kind that has its wellspring in enjoyment of others' pain. He clicked his tongue. ━ Then again, I suspect we have some serious ideological differences... and this ain't that big a galaxy.- he chuckled again. Ren wasn't only hoping for a fight, he desperately craved for it. 

━ Can we just skip to the part where you all run out of here crying?- Luke sassed back. At that, his opponent stayed silent for a moment. Deafening quietness came over the abandoned Jedi repository until Ren broke it. ━ Knights... - he summoned venomously, and the warriors shifted forward, weapons ready. Their leader concluded the command in a velvety voice, almost a purr, still detected despite the modulated effect of the helmet. ━ ... You are released.

It was futile, though. Luke had his weapon ready before the Knights even started their leap. Three of them ignited smaller lightsabers in varies shades of red, one carried large blaster rifles, another carried staffs that disconnected in the middle and separated, red energy-blades sprouting from them, and the last swung an energy-blade ax. 

Everything happened way too fast. Only three of them lounged forward, because Luke held the others with the Force, keeping them in place. The Knights of Ren could manipulate the Force like their leader, yet lacked the latter's consistency and prowness. They clearly lacked some training, and moved recklessly, without any strategy.

━ Take him!- one of the momentarily incapacitated warriors yelled. ━ It's only one man!

While the other Knights fought against the Jedi's trick, one of the fighters of the remaining team brought his lightsaber up fast, but Luke rose his own in time and blocked the attack with one hand; his other used the Force to deflect the blaster bolts that a second Knight was shooting. As he engaged in confrontation with each and every single one, Luke projected words into the minds of his opponents, pestering them.

_I am one man, but I am not alone._

_The Force is my ally._

_And it is powerful._

He smashed two against a nearby wall, knocking them out. The Knight with the lightsaber swung repeatedly, but Luke parried each blow. Meanwhile, Ben activated his blue-bladed lightsaber just in case, but remained out of the ensuing fight, nodding some reassurance at Lor.

━ Had enough yet?- Luke taunted his enemies, as the remaining three Knights closed in.

━ Ain't over yet.- came the grunting response from one of them, but they were no match for the Jedi, either.

_You're clumsy. Untrained._

_You use the Dark side like a hammer._

_But the Light side is a blade._

_... And so am I._

━ Magnificent.- Lor gasped, and his words came in a whisper which only Ben heard. The latter could only agree with the traveler. Despite the young padawan's concern for his Master's safety, Skywalker prevailed against his opponents, none of whom were able to harm or overpower him in the Force. Eventually Luke disarmed the remaining Knights and left them unconscious as well. Clenching his fist, Luke destroyed their weapons, scattering the disintegrated parts all over the place, dropping some at Ren's feet as well.

━ Do I have to do everything myself?- Ren shook his head, and headed right for the Jedi Master like a hungry predator.

The ensuing confrontation was fierce, with lightsabers clashing and igniting. Stroke after stroke Ren sawed through the air up and down, with exquisite precision. Their blades met every few moments and they mantained the contact, keeping their sabers braced against each other. The Knight's leader broke the contact and swung hard at Luke, yet the latter evaded the red blur of his weapon and slid backward before leaping a floor level higher, executing a reverse flip that delivered him to a crumbling balcony. Landing on his feet, Luke gazed down from the destroyed banister to see Ren waiting for him. The latter's exposed chest was moving in labored breathing. _He's getting tired_ , Luke realized.

━ Your body betrays you, Ren.- he taunted the panting warrior. ━ Do you need a break?- then his right arm moved fast, as he hurled his still-activated lightsaber down at him. Ren ducked the beaming weapon, but its blade cut through the side of his abdomen, not too deeply though. 

Luke extended his fingers and the saber traveled through the air like a boomerang and returned to his metal grip. Then, barely putting any effort, Luke ducked to the side, escaping blaster shots that came out of nowhere. Scanning the deposit, he found the source. One of the Knights had regained consciousness and was shooting Luky energy bolts with his rifles. Once again, the powerful Jedi used his free hand to manipulate the Force, redirecting the blast towards the ceilling. Upon impact, debris fell over the Knight's figure, covering his entire body with rock fragments. The latter disappeared under the rubble releasing a cloud of dust.

The Jedi repeated the move and used the same technique to throw Ren to the floor. The latter had no time to catch his breath. With a flick of his wrist, Skywalker wrapped him and forced the warrior back on his feet before sending him sailing across the ancient repository. Mimicking Ren's actions from earlier, Luke leaped over the balcony's banister with another flip before landing just as smoothly a short distance from his opponent. The latter's weapon had shut off after receiving the weight of Skywalker's powers. Reaching for it and reactivating the red blade, Ren went hunting for the old Jedi.

He swung forcefully, yet Luke backed up and parried his blows without difficulty. Ren struck one more time, persisting, until both of their blades were practically locked onto each other again. Over the humming of the lightsabers, Luke heard Ren's frustrated thoughts and ignored the hostility, as it was mere result of his growing exhaustion. The beams of their sabers buzzed and clashed as the two fighters danced across the room. Luke charged again and again, his strength with the Force never weavering. Ren, on the other hand, was struggling to keep up with his opponent's pace. 

Ben marveled at his uncle's masterful advance in the ways of the Force, and as the furious swordplay ground on, Skywalker even took the time to wink at his nephew with complicity a few times. When he noticed it, Ren grimaced, angrier than before. The blades unlocked, and the duel resumed. 

Trading blows across the old Jedi outpost, the two came to a stop near the entrance. What gave away the unbalanced confrontation was that Ren continuously depended on both hands to grip his lightsaber, putting more of his strength into each deadly swing. Luke kept using his weapon with nothing but one hand during the entire battle. The other moved incessantly across the air, giving Force-pushes , shoving and halting his enemy's movements mid-attack. Ren growled with impatience.

━ What now, Jedi man?- he seethed through gritted teeth, ready for another round.

━ Seems like that's up to you.- Luke countered dryly, applying more pressure to the saber. ━ But I wouldn't assume it'll go the way you expect.

━ Yeah, I can see that... I think I'll take my men and go. Let you have this one. Life's too much fun to die, you know?- Ren retorted with a vague hint of annoyance, conceding the battle and accepting Skywalker's offer to leave with his Knights injured but alive. ━ One more thing. You said you could sense the shadow in all of us. That's right, we've all got it...- Ren trailed off, gesturing around to his team. Then, his ugly mask fixed on the kid's face as he focused his attention on Skywalker's young apprentice, who was not only strong like his uncle, but also possessed an inherent connection to the Dark side, not unlike him and his Knights. 

His red saber pointed towards Ben as he spoke, however this time it wasn't agressive. Lor placed a hand on the student's shoulder, beckoning him to take a step backwards, but nothing happened. Solo took a deep breath and swallowed his nerves. He wanted his stance to evoke the same respect Luke did.

━ ... But you know your apprentice does too, right? Powerful, can feel it.- turning his head, he clicked his tongue teasingly. ━ ... Better be careful, Jedi man.- Ben had no time to ponder what that meant. Luke's saber moved menacingly towards Ren, yet his face remained unreadable.

━ It's time for you to leave.- the Jedi Master hissed. His words were cold as ice, laced with obvious monition.

━ Yeah, I know.- Ren waved him off, and as the Knights departed in defeat, the red, crackling beam of his saber retracted and disappeared. 

Surprisingly enough, the dark warrior then proceeded to take off the helmet. With it gone, the man's mask seemed less horrifying, and his features far less intimidating. Ren's jaw was sharp, and thin grey curls fell wildly across his unscathed face. His blue eyes pierced through Ben Solo, and the latter could have almost sworn they showed him kindness. Unlike the rest of his body, scars and burn marks were nowhere to be found, but the faint shadow of a stubble instead. The padawan noticed Ren seemed to be around his father's age, if not even a little younger.

━ Hey kid.- he spoke, startling Ben in the process. He lifted his chin, yet the tone of his voice was surprisingly softer when it addressed him. ━ You sure this is the life for you? You do know there are other paths, right?- he pressed, taking a hesitant step towards the confused apprentice. The latter gasped and behind him, Lor San Tekka's expression hardened.

━ Last chance.- Skywalker issued his final warning with a cautious step towards the warrior, blocking the latter's line of sight. Ren sighed, slowly turning around. However, the chill Ben felt crawl up his spine when he referred to him still lingered.

━ I hear you, Jedi man. We're going.- Ren waved him off again hastily. ━ But kid, you ever want to try something a little different, learn more about your shadow...- he threw his mask on the floor, by Ben's feet, and approached the entrance, where the Knights awaited. When he got there, he halted for a moment, nonchalantly glancing at the kid over his shoulder. ━ Come look us up. 

And just like that Ren and his Knights disappeared into the night. Ben could faintly hear Luke and Lor's concerned murmurs as they briefly checked up on one another, but his main attention was still focused on the archway the warriors had exited through. Slowly, his troubled gaze lowered, fixed on the helmet by his feet. From up close, he noticed the insides of the mask radiated Dark energy and pondered crouching down and touching it, but refrained from doing so, aware of Luke reaching out to him through the Force. Ben allowed the connection, projecting his thoughts as he relied on words of reassurance and gratefulness. He thanked his uncle over and over, and praised the latter's courage. When he was finally convinced the kid was okay, only then Luke slowly retreated from his mind.

The minute the Jedi's presence through the Force left him, Ben welcomed the solitude and silence, only for it to be interrupted again by a familiar voice. 

𝘼𝙧𝙚 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙤𝙠𝙖𝙮? 

Snoke's words were soft, laced with concern and curiosity, and for the first time, Ben Solo felt thrilled to finally have someone to talk to as the three made their way back to Lor San Tekka's ship. 

𝙍𝙚𝙣 𝙬𝙖𝙨 𝙣𝙤𝙩 𝙬𝙧𝙤𝙣𝙜 𝙖𝙗𝙤𝙪𝙩 𝙮𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙥𝙖𝙩𝙝... 𝘽𝙪𝙩 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙠𝙣𝙤𝙬 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙨 𝙖𝙡𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙙𝙮. 𝙄 𝙘𝙖𝙣 𝙨𝙚𝙣𝙨𝙚 𝙞𝙩 𝙞𝙣 𝙮𝙤𝙪, 𝙢𝙮 𝙛𝙧𝙞𝙚𝙣𝙙.

The comment wasn't judgmental. He was simply stating a fact, a truth, something Ben couldn't deny. The latter did know it, but only to an extent. He'd been pondering about the sides of the Force ever since he could remember and felt frustrated by it every single time. Nevertheless the subject always ignited his curiosity and fascination, and the padawan would constantly find himself thinking about it. 

There were countless amounts of information out there, but at the same time not too much available to him. Ben frequently felt there was a whole universe hidden, as some matters regarding the Force seemed to be always out of reach.

" _... Unless they have to do with the Light. It's always about the Light, and the Light only!_ "

Ben complained and complained like he usually did about those things. Humming to himself, Snoke waited patiently, letting the child vent.

_"I keep being told it's about balance. But none of it even acknowledges the Dark. How can it be about finding balance when one half continues to be overlooked like that, Snoke?"_

It was only then that the latter chimed in, but his words unfortunately brought no comfort to the apprentice. It wasn't Snoke's intention, anyway. 

𝘿𝙖𝙧𝙠𝙣𝙚𝙨𝙨 𝙬𝙞𝙡𝙡 𝙣𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙧 𝙗𝙚 𝙫𝙖𝙡𝙞𝙙𝙖𝙩𝙚𝙙 𝙞𝙣 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙬𝙖𝙮 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙨𝙤 𝙛𝙖𝙞𝙧𝙡𝙮 𝙢𝙚𝙙𝙞𝙩𝙖𝙩𝙚 𝙖𝙗𝙤𝙪𝙩, 𝙘𝙝𝙞𝙡𝙙.

He'd already told Ben more than once that if what he seeked for where lies to make himself feel better, he would find none with him, for he had to talk to his Master to get that. Snoke repeatedly reminded Ben that as a friend, his only friend, his only purpose was to help him achieve greatness. He'd said he believed his friend to be capable of amazing things, and over the years Snoke had made it clear to the kid that he would ensure Ben could reach his full potential through honesty, not deception. He vowed to never lie to him, no matter how difficult the question could be, no matter how painful the answer. Snoke swore to never hide things and Ben trusted him, for he was his friend. His only friend.

" _Which is so confusing!_ "

By now Luke, Lor and Ben were slowly taking off and leaving the planet behind. The walk back to the ship had been silent, each of them lost in their own thoughts. It wasn't until the vastness of space surrounded them that they felt safe enough to relax a little, saying goodbye to Elphrona without looking back. The young kid resumed his earlier motions, eyes returning to the panorama view, gazing out the window as Lor and Luke punched a few buttons on the control console and braced Ben to steel himself just a little. He watched carefully as the computer counted down and sighed with relief with the vibration of the engines.

_"I'm just saying it doesn't make sense... so what is wrong with me? Why can't I understand?"_

In no time, they jumped into hyperspace. The stars blinking off in the distance quickly melted into a vivid tunnel of blinding light and streaks swirled outside the viewport. From the cockpit of the ship, all Ben Solo could see was blue. _  
_

𝙋𝙚𝙧𝙝𝙖𝙥𝙨 𝙪𝙣𝙙𝙚𝙧𝙨𝙩𝙖𝙣𝙙𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙨𝙝𝙖𝙡𝙡 𝙘𝙤𝙢𝙚 𝙬𝙞𝙩𝙝 𝙙𝙞𝙫𝙚𝙧𝙜𝙚𝙣𝙘𝙚, 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙞𝙩 𝙬𝙞𝙡𝙡 𝙛𝙞𝙣𝙖𝙡𝙡𝙮 𝙢𝙚𝙖𝙣 𝙞𝙩 𝙬𝙖𝙨 𝙣𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙧 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙬𝙖𝙨 𝙖𝙩 𝙛𝙖𝙪𝙡𝙩.

Ben always found solace in counting on Snoke's unswerving loyalty, yet the latter certainly enjoyed riddles, and it was an often occurence that the kid requested clarification, as his friend liked to talk in puzzles. He always had a hard time understanding the way he spoke, and having to decode the meaning behind any of those words constantly challenged Ben to the point of exasperation. 

" _What do you mean, Snoke? You're saying there is nothing wrong with me?_ "

𝙄𝙩'𝙨 𝙣𝙤𝙩 𝙮𝙤𝙪, 𝙢𝙮 𝙛𝙧𝙞𝙚𝙣𝙙. 𝙔𝙤𝙪 𝙠𝙣𝙤𝙬 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙖𝙧𝙚 𝙪𝙣𝙘𝙤𝙢𝙥𝙖𝙧𝙖𝙗𝙡𝙚. 𝙃𝙤𝙬𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙧...

Snoke trailed off hesitantly, and just as expected, Ben pressed on, projecting the same questions over and over to him.

_"... What, what is it? What are you suggesting, then?"_

𝙄 𝙟𝙪𝙨𝙩 𝙬𝙤𝙣𝙙𝙚𝙧. 𝙉𝙤𝙬 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙝𝙖𝙫𝙚 𝙡𝙤𝙘𝙖𝙩𝙚𝙙 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙪𝙣𝙗𝙚𝙖𝙧𝙖𝙗𝙡𝙚 𝙘𝙤𝙣𝙩𝙧𝙖𝙙𝙞𝙘𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣...𝙬𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙙𝙤𝙚𝙨 𝙞𝙩 𝙢𝙚𝙖𝙣? 𝙄 𝙟𝙪𝙨𝙩 𝙬𝙤𝙣𝙙𝙚𝙧... 𝙞𝙛 𝙥𝙚𝙧𝙝𝙖𝙥𝙨 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙨 𝙘𝙤𝙣𝙛𝙡𝙞𝙘𝙩 𝙬𝙞𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙣 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙞𝙨 𝙩𝙧𝙮𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙩𝙤 𝙨𝙝𝙤𝙬 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙨𝙤𝙢𝙚𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙜. _  
_

Ben's brows furrowed ever so slightly as he silently repeated Snoke's words. Could it be that there was something to learn? Would he dare to listen? He suddenly recalled Ren's expression and how nervous he'd felt under the man's gaze. Was there a right path to the Dark side, perhaps? Could it be that his fate was to ignore the limits and be the first reach for the unknown? Somewhere in the back of his mind, Ben felt his friend's presence hum with approval at his current train of thoughts.

" _What should I do, Snoke?_ " _  
_

The kid sounded lost, his voice taking on a desperate tone he hated. Was he? Desperate? Had pushed too far? There were a few moments of nothing. Had he scared him away with his constant need of guidance? Ben was on the verge of nerves again when Snoke's reply finally came, breaking his inner turmoil.

𝙁𝙪𝙡𝙛𝙞𝙡𝙡 𝙮𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙙𝙚𝙨𝙩𝙞𝙣𝙮.

And that was the last thing Ben heard his friend say for the rest of day. _  
_


End file.
